1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a drying machine, and more particularly to a drying machine capable of efficiently preventing condensed water from flowing into a drum or a heater. Embodiments may relate to a drying machine that is easy to manufacture and assemble and that includes a variable base in which a flow channel is capable of being changed depending on a type of heat source for drying.
2. Background
A drying machine is intended to dry clothes. A drying machine is an apparatus for removing moisture from clothes by supplying hot air to clothes.
A drying machine may use an electric heater, a gas heater or a heat pump as a heat source for heating air. Drying machines may be classified based on a kind (or type) of heat source.
Drying machines may also be classified based on the manner in which air flows. An exhaust-type drying machine is intended to remove moisture from clothes and discharge high-temperature and high-humidity air to the outside. A circulation-type drying machine is intended to reuse high-temperature and high-humidity air through circulation without discharging the air to the outside. The circulation-type drying machine operates to condense the moisture in the high-temperature and high-humidity air and heat the air for reuse. The circulation-type drying machine may also be referred to as a condensation-type drying machine. More specifically, the condensation-type drying machines may be classified as a water-cooling type drying machine, an air-cooling type drying machine and/or a heat pump-type drying machine.
A large number of drying machines may be embodied as a combination of an exhaust-type drying machine and a circulation-type drying machine. Therefore, it may be difficult to distinguish an exhaust-type drying machine from a circulation-type drying machine.
Drying machines may also be classified based on the shape of the clothing container for containing clothes to be dried. A drying machine in which a clothing container has a drum shape and rotates about the horizontal axis may be referred to as a horizontal drum-type drying machine. On the other hand, a drying machine in which a clothing container has a drum shape and rotates about the vertical axis may be referred to as a vertical drum-type drying machine. A drying machine in which the clothing container is secured to inside of the cabinet may be referred to as a cabinet-type drying machine (or a refresher).
Circulation-type drum drying machines may be used in the home. Heater-type drying machines, which employ electric heaters as the heat source for air, have been extensively used. However, heat pump-type drying machines, which use a refrigerating cycle, have been used.
Heater-type drying machine and heat pump-type drying machine may be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic conceptual view showing a heater-type drying machine. Other arrangements and configurations may also be provided.
As shown in FIG. 1, the heater-type drying machine may include a drum 10 and an air circulation unit 20 for circulating air through the drum 10. The air, which is discharged from the drum 10, may flow into the drum 10 again through the air circulation unit 20. Consequently, the air is circulated through the air circulation unit 20. A drying fan 50 is provided for air circulation. The drying fan 50 is provided at the air circulation unit 20 to generate air flow.
The air circulation unit 20 may include an additional duct, a portion of which may be formed in a base of the drying machine. The drum 10 may also be referred to as a part of the air circulation unit 20.
In order to dry clothes in the drum 10, air may be heated by means of a heater, such as an electric heater, for example. The heated air flows into the drum 10 to remove moisture from the clothes. The air, which has high temperature and high humidity due to the removal of moisture, may be discharged from the drum 10, and may flow into a condenser 40. A filter 30 for removing extraneous substances, such as lint in the air, may be provided between the drum 10 and the condenser 40. The filter may be a lint filter.
The high-temperature and high-humidity air may be changed into dried air by condensation of moisture in the condenser 40. The high-temperature and high-humidity air may exchange heat with external air having a lower temperature in the condenser 40. In the course of the heat exchange, moisture contained in the high-temperature and high-humidity air may be condensed and removed. The condenser 40 may be provided with a cooling fan 45 for introduction and discharge of low-temperature external air. The cooling fan 45 may be provided in a cooling channel 46. The cooling channel 46 may supply external air to the condenser 40, and discharge the external air to the outside of the drying machine. The condenser 40 in the heater-type drying machine may be a structure adapted to allow the air circulation unit 20 to intersect with the cooling channel 46.
The low-temperature air, discharged from the condenser 40, may be heated by the heater 60, and may thus be converted into high-temperature dried air. The high-temperature dried air may flow into the drum 10 again.
Accordingly, air is circulated through the drum 10, the condenser 40, the drying fan 50 and the heater 60, and is dried through procedures of heating and condensing the circulating air.
The drying machine shown in FIG. 1 is constructed such that air is blown into the drum 10 from the rear of the drum 10. Accordingly, the drying machine may be referred to as blower-type drying machine. In the drum 10 shown in FIG. 1, the right side of the drum 10 is the front face and the left side of the drum 10 is the rear face. Accordingly, the air for drying clothes flows into the drum 10 from the rear of the drum 10, and is discharged forward from the drum 10.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing components of the drying machine shown in FIG. 1, which are disposed on a base 70 of the drying machine. The drum 10 and the heater 60, which are not directly mounted on the base 70, may be omitted from FIG. 2. Based on the base 70 (shown in FIG. 2), the upper side may correspond to the rear side of the drying machine, and the lower side may correspond to the front side of the drying machine.
Based on the base 70 (of FIG. 2), the condenser 40 is disposed at the left side, and the cooling fan 45, a motor 55 and the drying fan 50 are disposed at the right side. The motor 55 may drive the drying fan 50.
The drying fan 50 may be disposed in front of the drying machine and under the drum 10. In this example, the drying fan 50 may be disposed between the filter 30 and the condenser 40, unlike the arrangement shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, since the drying fan 50 is disposed in front of the drum 10 and draws air into the drum 10, the drying machine may be referred to as a suction-type drying machine. In other words, the drying machine may be classified as the suction-type drying machine and/or the blower-type drying machine based on a positional relationship between the drum 10 and the drying fan 50, (i.e., depending on whether the drying fan 50 is disposed before or behind the drum 10).
The flow of air may now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The air, which has flowed into the drum 10, is discharged outward through the front of the drum 10, and flows downwards into the condenser 40. After the air is discharged from the condenser 40, the air rises and flows into the drum 10 through the rear of the drum 10. For purpose of upward and downward movement of the air, additional ducts may be provided. The additional ducts may be coupled to the drum 10 and the base 70 so as to constitute the complete air circulation unit 20.
External air may flow into the drying machine through the cooling channel 46 from the rear of the drying machine, and the air may be supplied to the condenser 40. The external air, which is supplied to the condenser 40, may exchange heat with the circulating air in the condenser, and may then be discharged laterally from the drying machine. In other words, by activation of the cooling fan 45, the external air flows into the condenser 40 through the cooling channel 46, and is then discharged therefrom. In order to improve efficiency of heat exchange, the flowing direction of the circulating air in the condenser 40 may be perpendicular to the flowing direction of the external air.
FIG. 3 is a schematic conceptual view showing an example of a heat pump-type drying machine. Other arrangements and configurations may also be provided.
As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump-type drying machine may include the drum 10 and the air circulating unit 20 for circulating air through the drum 10. The air, which is discharged through the air circulating unit 20 from the drum 10, may again flow into the drum 10, after being subjected to condensation and heating procedures. Consequently, the air is circulated through the air circulating unit 20. The drying fan 50 is provided for circulating air. The drying fan 50 is provided at the air circulating unit 20 to generate air flow.
In order to dry clothes in the drum 10, air is heated and cooled by a heat pump system 80. The heat pump system 80 is a kind of refrigerating cycle that uses refrigerant. The heat pump system 80 may include a refrigerant pipe 82, an evaporation heat exchanger 81, a compressor 83, a condensation heat exchanger 84 and an expansion member 85.
More specifically, refrigerant may be circulated in such a manner as to flow (in this order) through the refrigerant pipe 82, the evaporation heat exchanger 81, the compressor 83, the condensation heat exchanger 84 and the expansion member 85.
The refrigerant in the evaporation heat exchanger 81 may absorb heat and thus evaporate. Accordingly, the evaporation heat exchanger 81 may cool circulating air and thus condense moisture by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the circulating air. Accordingly, the evaporation heat exchanger 81 may be considered to be a condenser corresponding to the condenser 40 of the drying machine in terms of circulation of air.
The refrigerant in the condensation heat exchanger 84 may be condensed while releasing heat. Accordingly, the condensation heat exchanger 84 may heat the circulating air through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the circulating air. Accordingly, the condensation heat exchanger 84 may be a heater corresponding to the heater 60 of the heater-type drying machine in terms of circulating air.
Therefore, procedures of condensing and heating the circulating air may be implemented through the heat pump system 80, and the circulating air may flow into the drum 10. The filter 30 may remove extraneous substances such as lint from the air. The filter 30 may be provided between the drum 10 and the evaporation heat exchanger 81.
Based on the drum 10 (of FIG. 3), the right side may correspond to the front side of the drying machine, and the left side may correspond to the rear side of the drying machine. The drying machine shown in FIG. 3 may be constructed such that the drying fan 50 is disposed behind the drum 10. The drying machine may be referred to as a blower-type drying machine. However, the drying machine (of FIG. 4) may alternatively be a suction-type drying machine, as described above.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing components of the drying machine shown in FIG. 3, which are disposed on the base 70 of the drying machine. The drum 10, which is not directly mounted on the base 70, may be omitted from FIG. 4. Based on the base 70 (of FIG. 4), the upper side may correspond to the rear side of the drying machine, and the lower side may correspond to the front side of the drying machine.
Based on the base 70, the evaporation heat exchanger 81 and the condensation heat exchanger 84 are disposed at the left side, and the expansion valve 85, the compressor 83, the motor 55 and the drying fan 50 are disposed at the right side. The motor 55 may drive the drying fan 50.
The flow of air may now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
The air in the drum 10 may be discharged forward from the drum 10 by suction force of the drying fan 50. The discharged air may flow down toward the evaporation heat exchanger 81 and the condensation heat exchanger 84. The air is heated and thus releases moisture while passing through the evaporation heat exchanger 81 and the condensation heat exchanger 84. Thereafter, the air rises and enters the rear (or rear side) of the drum 10.
Since the heat pump-type drying machine performs cooling and heating of air through the heat pump system 80, the cooling fan 45 or the cooling channel 46, which are in the heater-type drying machine, may be provided.
The heat pump-type drying machine may perform the same procedures of filtering, condensation and heating for circulating air as in the above-described heater-type drying machine. However, there are differences in manners of heating and condensing between the heat pump-type drying machine and the heater-type drying machine. The heater 50 and the condenser 40 of the heater-type drying machine may correspond to the condensation heat exchanger 84 and the evaporation heat exchanger 84, respectively. Since the heater 50 and the condensation heat exchanger 84 are constructed to heat circulating air, the heater 50 and the condensation heat exchanger 84 may be referred to as heating units.
As described above, air circulating units 20 for circulating air, including the drums 10, in the heater-type drying machine and the heat pump-type drying machine may be substantially identical to each other. Further, the air circulation unit 20 may be very similar to the drying mechanism.
However, there are differences in the detailed structure of the air circulating unit 20 between the heater-type drying machine and the heat pump-type drying machine. The structures of flow channels in the bases 70 may differ from each other due to difference(s) in the manners of heating and condensing. More specifically, since the flow channel, which constitutes a part of the air circulating unit 20, is formed in the base 70, different bases 70 may be used due to differences in the flow channel. This means that different bases 70 may have to be used due to the difference(s) in manners of heating and condensing, even if the drying machines have the same external dimensions.
Accordingly, when there is a need to manufacture both heat pump-type drying machine and heater-type drying machine, a problem may arise in that bases 70 having different structures suitable for the respective types of drying machines may have to be manufactured and managed.
Since the bases 70 have different structures, components mounted on the bases 70 may also have different structures. That is, components having different structures may have to be used even to fulfill the same function.
The drying fan 50 and the motor 55 for driving the drying fan 50 may be used in common for both drying machines. The components, which are fundamentally different in manners of heating and condensing, may differ from each other. For example, only the heater-type drying machine includes the condenser 40 and the cooling fan 45, and only the heat pump-type drying machine includes the heat pump system 80.
In addition to exclusive components, other components, that fulfill the same function but have different structures, may be used in the respective drying machines. Accordingly, structures of the base 70, the drying fan 50 and other components (such as a drying fan housing, a condensed water pump and a condensed water guide member) may vary in accordance with the kinds (or types) of drying machines.
For example, among the components that are directly or indirectly mounted on the base 70 of the drying machines, four (4) components (including the motor 55 and legs) may be used in common in both drying machines. Meanwhile, twelve (12) components, including the base 70, which are different from one another, may be used in only one kind of drying machine. In particular, although about seven (7) kinds of components fulfill the same respective functions in both kinds of drying machines, structures of the respective components may be different from each other in both kinds of drying machines.
Consequently, there may be a problem in that a number of components, which have to be managed in different manners in accordance with the type of drying machine, may increase and thereby increase production costs. Additionally, the increase in the number of different components may make the manufacture and after-sales service difficult.
In the example of a circulation-type drying machine, it is preferable to efficiently discharge condensed water. In other words, it is preferable to efficiently discharge condensed water, generated in the drying machine, from the air circulation unit 20.
Condensed water may be generated not only at the condenser but also in any region of the air circulation unit 20 due to a decrease in temperature after the drying machine is shut down. It may not be desirable for the condensed water to be reheated or to flow into the drum 10 or the heating unit.
Accordingly, there may be a high necessity to provide a structure for efficiently removing condensed water. This may be more urgent for the circulation-type drying machine, and may also be more urgent for the blower-type drying machine.
In the blower-type drying machine, condensed water in the drying fan housing may be directly supplied to the heater due to air flow. Noises may be thereby generated. Further, when a large amount of condensed water is directly supplied to the heater, reliability of the heater may deteriorate.
For at least these reasons, there may be a very high necessity to prevent condensed water from flowing into the drying fan housing and to prevent condensed water in the drying fan housing from being directly supplied to the heater.